First Peek at My New Book!

It’s been a secret for far too long… I’m so excited to finally share with you the title and cover of my new book - Stretch! Make Yourself Comfortable Sewing with Knit Fabrics.

Published by Quadrille, the book will be out in early March 2018 – and you can pre-order it NOW from Amazon.co.uk (UK) or Amazon.com (North America)!

Pre-orders really help by showing potential stockists that there’s interest in the book – so I really really appreciate it when anyone orders their book in advance :)

So what’s the book about? Two key words in the title say it all – “stretch” and “comfortable”. A perfect follow on to my first book Love at First Stitch, it’s about stretching your skills by learning to sew stretchy knit fabric; and getting comfortable with these fabrics so you can make clothes that are so comfortable you’ll want to wear them every day!

Stretch! is jam-packed full of techniques and tips for choosing, cutting, fitting and stitching jersey, double knit (or ponte), sweatshirting, sweater knits, stretch velvet and sequin knits. Knit fabrics have a reputation for being tricky to sew – but I want to show you that, with a few tricks up your (handmade) sleeve, they’re actually not that difficult after all. In fact, once you know how, knit fabrics are speedy to sew, a dream to wear – and totally addictive!

Free Pattern! Make Your Own Snuggly Slipper Boots

With the holidays fast approaching, it's the time of year that calls for fleecy pyjamas, a bottomless tub of Quality Street... and how about a cosy pair of handmade slipper boots?

As a thank you for reading the blog this year, we wanted to treat you to super speedy slipper sewing pattern to get stuck into. This is a fab project if you’ve just got a few hours to dedicate to crafting time as they’re very quick to put together. They also don’t require much fabric, so are a great stash buster. Enjoy!

Download the free Slipper Boots sewing pattern

To ensure your pattern prints at the right size, be sure to open and print the pattern in Adobe Reader (you can download it for free) and print it at "actual size" or "100% scale" in the print settings. If you're new to digital patterns, read more about printing and assembling your pattern.



You will need: 

• 30cm (3/8yd) of main fabric - medium to heavy-weight sweatshirting, fleece, velour or woven cotton
• Matching thread
• 30cm (3/8yd) of lining fabric - cosy faux fur, fleece, jersey, fleece, velour or flannel
• 30cm (3/8yd) of cotton wadding 
• Optional: Anti-slip rubber dotted fabric (we found ours on Ebay)
• Sewing machine and basic tools

15mm (5/8in) seam allowance is included in the pattern.

Cut out all the pieces you need in your size as noted on the pattern pieces. Cut short snips for the notches.



In your main fabric, place the toe panel on top of the front panel, right sides together, and pin them together along the front panel seam. Stitch.

Trim the seam allowances down to about half their width, then notch little triangles into the curves every 30mm (1in) or so, being careful not to cut through the stitching. Press the seam allowances open. Repeat for the other boot.



Place the back panel on top of the front and toe panels, right sides together. Pin them together along the inside and outside leg seams, matching notches. Stitch.



Trim the seam allowances down to about half their width, then press the seam allowances open. Repeat for the other boot.



Repeat the previous two steps with the lining fabric, but leave a 5cm (2in) opening in the middle of the inside leg seam.



Place the wadding on top of the base panels in the main fabric, wrong sides together. Pin them together around the base panel seam, matching notches. Tack (baste) the layers of fabric together with a 10mm (3/8in) seam allowance.



With the boot (the front, back and toe panels) turned wrong side out, place the base panel on top of it. Pin them together around the base panel seam, right sides together, matching notches. Stitch. Trim the seam allowances down to about half their width, then turn the boot right side out. Finger press the base panel seam to smooth it out.



Turn the boot lining inside out and slip it over the main boot, right sides together. Pin them together around the top opening seam, matching notches. Stitch.



If your sewing machine has a free arm, you can remove the cover to understitch the seam allowances of the top opening to the lining. Understitching will help keep the lining tucked inside the boot. This step isn't essential, so feel free to skip it if your machine doesn’t have a free sewing arm!



Pull the bottom of the boot lining out through the opening in the inside leg seam. Place the lining base on top of the boot lining, wrong sides together. Pin together around the base panel seam, matching notches. Stitch. Trim the seam allowances.



Turn the lining right side out through the opening along the inside leg seam. Machine or hand stitch the opening closed. Finger press the base panel seam to smooth it out.



Finally, push the lining inside the main boot. You might need to wiggle the lining around inside the boot to get it to sit in the right place. You can fold the top down to show off a jazzy contrasting lining!



Enjoy! These boots would be perfect paired with our Jaimie pyjamas or the Juno PJs from our Make It Simple book.

How to Make a Padded Coat Hang

So you’ve poured your heart and soul into your handmade dress, snipped the final thread, heaved a satisfied sigh, squealed with delighted pride…and then promptly hung it up on a natty wire coat hanger!

If this sounds like you, consider giving your dressmaking projects the badge of honour they deserve by whipping up one of these beautiful, silky, padded coat hangers. Vanessa here today, with the steps to show you how. I was inspired to make this hanger for my Etta dress - far too special for a regular hanger!

Not only do these hangers protect your delicate clothes from the lumps, bumps and indents that wooden and wire hangers can make, but they also allow you to channel your inner 1950s boudoir goddess, (or “inner Nana” as Tilly says, but let’s ignore her!).

Five Design Hacks for the Cleo Dungaree Dress

Following on from the popularity of our post on hacks for the Bettine dress, I thought it high time we shared some of the amazing design variations you’ve been making to the Cleo dungaree dress! One of our most popular sewing patterns, Cleo is quick to make and easy to wear. How about trying out one of these design hacks next time you make it?

1) Button front panel

Inspired by dungaree dresses spotted on the high street, Abi added a button down opening to the front of her dungaree dress. I love this style – so seventies! Want to make one just like it? You’re in luck, as she’s shared a tutorial on how she did it.

Behind The Scenes at the Shows

Tilly and the Buttons recently exhibited at not one, but two shows here in London town. Lexy here, to give you a peek behind the scenes, and tell you more about them!

First up, we were at The Handmade Fair. This was our third time exhibiting at this event, and it's one that we always look forward to, as it's always such fun to meet so many lovely crafters... and there's the alluring promise of prosecco at the end of a long day!



Jo and I had a fantastic time greeting visitors to the show, Jo wearing her Bettine dress and I in my Etta dress (also known as Favourite Dress Ever).

Love at First Stitch - Finalement en français!

Great news for French readers - my book Love at First Stitch is now en français! You can order Couture pour les grandes débutantes from Amazon.fr.

From the outset I've been dreaming of seeing the book in French, and it has finally found a publisher in Editions Marie Claire. Hooray! 

Photo Shoot Outtakes!

Thank you so much for the love for our maternity sewing patterns! It turns out I'm not the only one who's struggled to find maternity clothes in the shops... It's great that we can take matters into our own hands and make a mama wardrobe that we love :)

By the time this is published, I'll be on maternity leave. While I'm gone, I thought I'd share some outtakes from our maternity pattern photo shoot. I was 34 weeks pregnant when we shot these pics - I kinda wish we'd done them earlier as I felt enormous!! Plus I had various pregnancy symptoms to contend with. At least we could have a bit of a giggle snapping some shots showing the reality of being pregnant, such as...

Introducing Sewing Patterns for Mamas-to-Be!

Exciting news for stitchers with a bun in the oven – we’ve created two maternity sewing patterns!

Currently pregnant while writing this, I (Tilly) have struggled to buy maternity clothes in the shops. Brands with maternity lines are few and far between, and when you do find a store that stocks them, the range is disappointingly limited, the colours bland, and finding the right size is near impossible!

So I decided we should develop a couple of patterns with multiple variations so you (and I!) can build a stylish wardrobe to show off your bump. They’re based on our popular Bettine and Agnes patterns, redrafted for a curvalicious pregnant shape and size, and redesigned with the needs of baby mamas in mind.




Crucially, these patterns are:

• Comfortable to wear – essential when you’re growing a little one and have enough aches and pains to deal with, amirite?
• Quick and easy to make – so you can get on with curating your nursery Pinspiration board!
• Versatile – multiple variations mean you can get a wardrobe full of garments out of each pattern
• Easy fitting – to accommodate a range of bump shapes, and to continue to fit you as you grow

ORDER MATERNITY BETTINE OR MATERNITY AGNES

OR SAVE MONEY WITH THE MAMA-TO-BE BUNDLE!

5 Tips for Achieving Your Goals

It’s a wonderful feeling to finally finish a big creative project. I’ve just submitted my second book, and juggling that alongside running a business (and growing a baby with the appointments, admin and ailments that this entails) has been a mission – but ultimately very rewarding. More and more crafters are starting a business, maintaining a vlog, writing a book or embarking on some other big project – often alongside a day job, kids or other commitments – so perhaps you know the feeling?

Today I thought I’d share a few tips on how I stay on track, both with my business and big creative projects such as writing a book, in order to achieve my goals. I’d love to hear your own thoughts in the comments too.

Behind the Scenes... Book 2 Progress

Hoooraaaaayyy! I've finished writing my second book!

It's been a ton of work, but everything has gone really well and I couldn't be more pleased with how it's turning out. All that's left to do now is proofing and planning the release. I'm soooo excited to share it with you when it's published next Spring!

In the meantime, I thought I'd give you some peeks behind the scenes at the recent garment photo shoots - the final three days of photography after the seven instructions shoots. For the garment shoots, we used the same photographer as my first book, Ellie Smith, and were back in the same studio in Bethnal Green that we used three years ago. It felt a bit like a déjà vu - but in a good way!

I Can Make Shoes!

If you follow our Instagram, you may have noticed that (some of) team Tilly and the Buttons were out of the studio on an away day earlier this month (Vanessa and Louise sadly couldn't make it), when Tilly treated the team to a sandal making workshop at I Can Make Shoes! Lexy here, to tell you a bit about our day.

I Can Make Shoes is the brainchild of Amanda Overs, who wanted everyone to have the opportunity to craft their own footwear, without the need for industrial machinery. She came up with a method of creating high-quality shoes that can be done from the comfort of your own home (or indeed her lovely space at Pillbox Studios, in London). Amanda had laid everything out for us, and we couldn't wait to get started!

How to Sew Slipstitch

Want to brush up on your hand sewing skills?

Slipstitch is a hand stitch that you can use to join a folded edge of fabric to another piece of fabric - for example, for hemming or for attaching binding inside an armhole.




The great thing about this stitch is that it's almost invisible on the outside of the garment, so provides a more couture finish than if you were to topstitch by machine.

Here's a short video showing you how to sew slipstitch. I'm demonstrating on the armhole binding of the Etta dress. I'm using contrast thread so you can see exactly what I'm doing - please do use thread that matches your garment fabric though so your stitches are barely visible and the finish looks much neater!



This video is an extract from my online workshop, Sew Your Own Knockout Dress. Watch the trailer and sign up here!

Behind the Scenes...

It's been a little while since we took you behind the scenes at Tilly and the Buttons HQ, so today I thought I'd share a few snap shots of what we've been up to. Please excuse the mess - the studio gets in such a state when we're busy!!

Lady in Red...

Is anyone else out there totally in love with the Etta sewing pattern?! Lexy here (both behind the keys and on your screens!) and it's my pleasure to show you the Etta dress that Vanesssa made when she explained how to line it. It's just too gorgeous not to share!

Ness used one of our Etta sewing kits to make this stunner. The material is a gorgeous quality sateen, which is super easy to sew, and the slight stretch to it means that it hugs your curves to flatter, whilst allowing movement for comfort - the best of both worlds! 

How to Line the Etta Dress

Sometimes it's satisfying to spend a bit of extra time on your sewing project to get a super luxurious finish – particularly if you're making an outfit for a special occasion.

Vanessa here today - I'm going to show you how to make and attach a lining to your Etta dress. You can also use this tutorial to line many other fitted dresses, including those with a fiddly kick pleat. A lining will not only give your dress more weight and a flattering shape, it also reduces static and twisting - so no tugging around an unruly garment!



When choosing a lining fabric, look out for something lightweight and drapey that feels lovely on your skin. Try acetate or poly satin (nice and cheap - but check it first as it can go a bit static), viscose (rayon) crepe de chine, silk satin or, if you really want to push the boat out, something like silk charmeuse. Tilly bought this lining fabric from A One Fabrics on London's Goldhawk Road.

You'll also need matching thread, some large pieces of paper to make a lining pattern, and the Etta lining template, which prints on one sheet of A4 or Letter paper:

Download the Etta lining template

I've sewn this version in a gorgeous quality red sateen - an easy-to-work-with fabric with a touch of stretch for comfort and a subtle sheen for glamour. You can get your hands on the same fabric that I've used as well as all the notions you need in our Etta sewing kits.